U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he would not use force to take control of Greenland, before later dropping his threat to impose new tariffs on European nations over the dispute.
Trump said he still wanted “immediate negotiations” over a U.S. acquisition of the Danish Arctic island, but talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte appear to have further eased tensions.
Trump hinted at a possible Greenland agreement, which might satisfy all parties.
His speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos was highly anticipated, and Trump withdrew from a position that had threatened 80 years of comparative harmony between Western allies.
“People thought I would use force, but I don’t have to use force,” the U.S. president told the forum – and many in the rest of the world that watched the livestream from the Swiss resort.
“I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force,” he added.
European leaders had been on edge after repeated Trump statements insisting the large island, thought to have mineral wealth, become part of the United States for national and global security reasons.
Previously, Trump had refused to rule out sending the U.S. military to fulfill his demand.
Following the meeting with Rutte, Trump withdrew threats to impose punitive tariffs on European countries supporting Denmark on his Truth Social platform.
European NATO allies have voiced solidarity with Denmark and Greenland, even sending troops there, which had led Trump to say he would impose punitive tariffs from Feb. 1 to apply pressure.
“Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,” Trump wrote.
“This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America and all NATO Nations.
“Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on Feb. 1.”
Trump also told U.S. broadcaster CNBC that he believed he was moving towards a permanent agreement on Greenland, saying the broad outlines of a deal were in place, though he refused to provide further details.
Asked whether the U.S. would own the island, Trump said the issue was somewhat complex but added that “it’ll be forever for Greenland at this point, forever.”
Rutte later confirmed Trump’s statements regarding a framework for a possible agreement on Greenland, but said a lot of work needed to be done among the parties involved.
Speaking to U.S. broadcaster Fox News, he said he and Trump had agreed during talks in Davos that the Arctic region needed to be protected jointly.
The NATO boss added that the U.S. would continue its talks with Greenland and Denmark, including on preventing Russia and China from gaining access to Greenland’s economy.
He described the talks as producing a “very good” outcome.
Rutte said the sides had agreed to consider what NATO could collectively contribute to ensure that the entire Arctic region is safe, emphasising the need for measures to be taken on land, at sea, and in the air to protect what he called an important part of the world and of NATO territory.
Asked whether a possible agreement would ensure that Greenland remained Danish, Rutte said the issue had not come up again in his conversations.
The focus, he said, had been on protecting Greenland.
Meanwhile, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen has welcomed Trump’s announcement.
“The day is ending on a better note than it began,” Rasmussen said in a statement posted on X.
He said Denmark welcomed that Trump “has ruled out taking Greenland by force and paused the trade war.”
“Now, let’s sit down and find out how we can address the American security concerns in the Arctic while respecting the red lines of the KoD (Kingdom of Denmark),” Rasmussen added.
